Old Testament · Law (Torah) and covenant sermons

The Book of Deuteronomy: Author, Context and Complete Study

Deuteronomy records Moses' farewell sermons to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they entered Canaan. He retells their history, repeats and explains God's law and calls the new generation to love the Lord with all their heart and choose life.

Updated on November 14, 2026

What is Deuteronomy about?

Deuteronomy is a collection of Moses' last speeches to Israel, delivered on the plains of Moab in the fortieth year after the exodus. Moses reviews the journey from Mount Sinai (called Horeb), repeats the Ten Commandments, explains the laws for life in the promised land and sets before the people blessing and curse, life and death. Its heart is the Shema: the Lord is one, and Israel must love him with all their heart, soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). It ends with the death of Moses on Mount Nebo.

Author: The book presents itself as Moses' farewell speeches, which he wrote down (1:1; 31:9, 24). Tradition holds that another hand, often said to be Joshua, added the account of his death (34).
Date: Set in the 40th year after the exodus, c. 1406 BC (early date); many scholars date its final form centuries later.
First readers: The new generation of Israel on the plains of Moab, born in the wilderness, about to cross the Jordan without Moses and face the gods and temptations of Canaan.
Genre: Law (Torah) and covenant sermons
Chapters: 34 chapters
Key verse: Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Historical context

Deuteronomy is set on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year after the exodus (1:3), on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan. The generation that refused to enter Canaan had died in the wilderness (2:14-16), Aaron and Miriam were gone, and Israel had just defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites at Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan (2:24-3:11). Moses, now 120 years old (31:2), knew he would not cross the Jordan, so he prepared the people and Joshua for life without him. On the early date of the exodus this is about 1406 BC.

Ahead lay Canaan, with its fertility gods, sacred poles and high places (7:5; 12:2-3), and practices such as divination and child sacrifice (18:9-12). The book's form resembles the treaties of the ancient Near East, in which a great king set out his past kindness, his stipulations and the blessings and curses of the covenant. Scholars have noted parallels both with Hittite treaties of the second millennium BC and with Assyrian treaties of the seventh century BC, and this evidence plays a part in the debate over the book's date.

Geographical context

Moses speaks beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab (1:1, 5), looking back over the route from Horeb, the name Deuteronomy uses for Sinai, eleven days' journey by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea (1:2). He recalls passing Edom, Moab and Ammon, whose lands God had given to the descendants of Esau and Lot (2:5, 9, 19), and the conquest of Heshbon and Bashan, which became the territory of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh.

Across the river lay a land of hills and valleys that drinks rain from heaven, unlike Egypt, which had to be watered by irrigation (11:10-11), a land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, pomegranates, olives and honey (8:8). Moses commands a ceremony at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal near Shechem (11:29; 27:12-13), speaks of the place the Lord will choose for his name (12:5) and finally climbs Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah opposite Jericho, to see the whole land before he dies (34:1-4).

Why does the book of Deuteronomy exist?

Deuteronomy exists to prepare a new generation to enter the promised land faithfully. These people had not stood at Sinai as adults; they needed to hear the covenant renewed, to understand their history and to commit themselves personally to the Lord. Moses warns that prosperity in Canaan could make them forget the God who brought them out of Egypt (6:10-12; 8:11-18), and that the gods of the land would tempt them away.

The book is not a cold legal code but a passionate sermon. Moses explains the law, adds motives and calls for love, gratitude and wholehearted obedience. He also looks beyond his own time: he provides for future kings, priests and prophets, foresees Israel's failure and exile, and promises that God will one day circumcise their hearts so that they love him (30:1-6). Deuteronomy shaped the rest of the Old Testament, especially the books from Joshua to Kings and the prophets, and it is one of the books most quoted in the New Testament.

Outline of Deuteronomy

Chapters 1-4
Moses' first speech: remembering the journey
Moses retells the journey from Horeb, the failure at Kadesh-barnea, the forty years of wandering and the victories over Sihon and Og. He urges the people to obey God's law, to make no images and to remember that the Lord alone is God (4:35, 39).
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Chapters 5-11
The heart of the covenant
Moses repeats the Ten Commandments and gives the Shema (6:4-9). He warns against forgetting God in prosperity, reminds Israel that God chose them out of love, not merit (7:7-8; 9:4-6), retells the golden calf and calls them to fear, love and serve the Lord.
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Chapters 12-16
Worship and community life
Israel must worship at the place the Lord will choose and destroy the places of idol worship. Laws follow about false prophets, clean food, tithes, the cancellation of debts every seventh year, the release of slaves and the three pilgrimage feasts.
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
Chapters 17-20
Leaders, justice and war
Moses sets rules for judges, a future king who must write and read a copy of the law (17:14-20), priests, Levites and a prophet like Moses whom God will raise up (18:15-22). He establishes cities of refuge, requires two or three witnesses and regulates warfare.
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
Chapters 21-26
Laws for family, neighbor and the land
A wide range of laws protects life, marriage, the poor, workers, strangers, widows, orphans and even animals and fruit trees. The section ends with the offering of firstfruits and the confession that begins with a wandering Aramean (26:5-10).
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
Chapters 27-28
Blessings and curses
Moses orders the law to be written on plastered stones at Mount Ebal and the tribes to stand on Gerizim and Ebal for blessing and curse. Chapter 28 describes the blessings of obedience and, at much greater length, the curses of disobedience, ending in exile.
- 27
- 28
Chapters 29-30
The covenant renewed in Moab
Israel enters the covenant in Moab, in addition to the one made at Horeb (29:1). Moses foresees exile but promises restoration and a circumcised heart (30:1-6), declares that the word is near them (30:11-14) and urges them to choose life (30:19).
- 29
- 30
Chapters 31-34
Moses' final words and death
Moses commissions Joshua, entrusts the written law to the priests to be read every seven years and teaches Israel a song that will testify against them (32). He blesses the tribes (33), views the land from Mount Nebo and dies, and the Lord buries him (34).
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34

Famous passages in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:6-21
The Ten Commandments repeated
Moses repeats the Ten Commandments for the new generation, with small differences from Exodus 20. The Sabbath command is grounded here in Israel's slavery in Egypt (5:15), whereas Exodus grounds it in creation (Exodus 20:11). The repetition shows that the covenant made at Horeb was for this generation too (5:3).
Study Deuteronomy 5 →
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The Shema
Moses declares that the Lord is one and commands Israel to love him with all their heart, soul and might, to keep his words on their hearts, teach them diligently to their children and talk of them at home and on the road. Jesus calls it the greatest commandment (Mark 12:29-30), and it is still recited daily in Jewish prayer.
Study Deuteronomy 6 →
Deuteronomy 8:2-3
Not by bread alone
Moses explains the forty years: God humbled and tested Israel and fed them with manna to teach them that people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Jesus quoted this verse when Satan tempted him to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:4).
Study Deuteronomy 8 →
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
A prophet like Moses
Moses promises that God will raise up from among the people a prophet like him, who will speak God's words, and that everyone must listen to him. The New Testament identifies this prophet with Jesus (Acts 3:22-26; 7:37), and after the feeding of the five thousand the crowd called Jesus the Prophet who was to come (John 6:14).
Study Deuteronomy 18 →
Deuteronomy 29:29
The secret things belong to the Lord
After warning of judgment, Moses distinguishes what God keeps hidden from what he has revealed: the secret things belong to the Lord, but the revealed things belong to Israel and their children forever, so that they may obey. The verse is often quoted as a guide for humility before mystery and obedience to what is clear.
Study Deuteronomy 29 →
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Choose life
Moses sets before Israel life and good, death and evil, and calls heaven and earth as witnesses. He urges them to choose life by loving the Lord, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is their life and length of days. It is the climax of Moses' preaching and a classic call to decision.
Study Deuteronomy 30 →
Deuteronomy 31:6-8
Be strong and courageous
As Moses prepares to die, he tells the people and then Joshua to be strong and courageous and not to fear, because the Lord goes before them and will not leave them or forsake them. God repeats the charge to Joshua (Joshua 1:5-9), and Hebrews 13:5 applies the promise to every believer.
Study Deuteronomy 31 →
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
The death of Moses
From Mount Nebo, at the top of Pisgah, God shows Moses the whole land. Moses dies at 120 with his eyes undimmed, the Lord buries him in a valley in Moab, and no one knows his grave. The book closes by saying no prophet like Moses had arisen, whom the Lord knew face to face (34:10).
Study Deuteronomy 34 →

Main themes

Love for the one true God: The Lord alone is God (4:35; 6:4), and he chose Israel because he loved them (7:7-8). Deuteronomy asks for a response of love with all the heart, soul and might, not mere outward compliance. No other book of the Law speaks so often of the love between God and his people.
Remember and do not forget: Moses repeatedly tells Israel to remember the slavery in Egypt, the rescue, Horeb and the wilderness (5:15; 8:2; 24:18). The great danger in the land is forgetting God in prosperity (8:11-18), so memory, teaching and festivals are built into Israel's life.
Covenant: blessing and curse: Israel's life in the land depends on covenant faithfulness. Obedience brings blessing, rain and peace; idolatry brings drought, defeat and exile (28). Yet God promises restoration after judgment when the people return to him with all their heart (30:1-10).
One people, one God, one place of worship: Israel must reject the gods of Canaan and worship at the place the Lord will choose for his name (12:5). This exclusive loyalty protected the people from mixing the worship of the Lord with the fertility religions of the land.
Care for the vulnerable: God executes justice for the orphan and the widow and loves the sojourner (10:18). The laws of tithes, gleaning, debt release, fair wages and protection of runaway slaves (14:28-29; 15:1-11; 23:15-16; 24:14-22) make compassion a covenant duty.
Teaching the next generation: Parents are to teach God's words diligently to their children (6:7) and answer their questions about the law by telling the story of the exodus (6:20-25). The law is to be read publicly every seven years (31:10-13). Faith is meant to pass from generation to generation.

Main characters

Moses: The speaker of almost the entire book. At 120 years old, barred from entering Canaan, he pours out his final words as preacher, lawgiver and pastor. He dies on Mount Nebo, and the book honors him as the greatest prophet of the old covenant (34:10-12).
Joshua: Son of Nun, Moses' assistant and successor. Moses encourages him publicly to be strong and courageous (31:7-8), and God commissions him at the tent of meeting (31:14, 23). After Moses' death he is full of the spirit of wisdom and the people obey him (34:9).
Israel, the new generation: The children of those who left Egypt, the real audience of the book. Moses addresses them as if they had stood at Horeb themselves (5:2-3), calling them to remember, love and obey, and warning them of what will happen if they turn away.
Caleb: Son of Jephunneh, remembered in Moses' retelling as the only one of the spies' generation, with Joshua, who would see the land, because he wholly followed the Lord (1:36).
Aaron: Moses' brother and the first high priest. Moses recalls that God was angry enough with Aaron over the golden calf to destroy him, and that he prayed for Aaron too (9:20). His death and the succession of Eleazar are mentioned in 10:6.
Sihon and Og: Two Amorite kings east of the Jordan: Sihon of Heshbon, who refused Israel peaceful passage, and Og of Bashan, the last of the Rephaim, famous for his huge iron bed (3:11). Their defeat (2:24-3:11) is recalled as proof that God would give the land.
Balaam: The prophet hired to curse Israel. Moses reminds the people that the Lord would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing because he loved them (23:4-5), one reason Ammonites and Moabites were barred from the assembly.

In-depth study of Deuteronomy

Introduction

Deuteronomy is Moses' farewell. Forty years after leaving Egypt, standing on the plains of Moab with the Jordan River between Israel and the promised land, the aged leader gathers the people for his last sermons. He knows he will not cross the river. So he does what every faithful pastor longs to do before leaving: he reminds them of what God has done, explains again what God requires and pleads with them to stay faithful.

The result is one of the most influential books of the Bible. It contains the Shema (6:4-9), the Ten Commandments in their second form (5:6-21), the promise of a prophet like Moses (18:15) and the great call to choose life (30:19). Jesus quoted it more than once, and its vision of wholehearted love for God shaped the faith of Israel and of the church.

Who wrote Deuteronomy and when?

The claim of the book

Deuteronomy opens by saying these are the words Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan (1:1), and it states that Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests and the elders (31:9), then finished writing its words in a book (31:24). The final chapter, which describes Moses' death and burial, was obviously written by someone else; Jewish tradition in the Talmud attributes those closing verses to Joshua. Expressions such as to this day (34:6) and the remark that no prophet like Moses has arisen since (34:10) suggest some time had passed when the final chapter was written.

Dating views

On the traditional view the speeches date from the fortieth year after the exodus, around 1406 BC on the early date. Many modern scholars connect Deuteronomy with the Book of the Law found in the temple in 622 BC, during the reign of King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23), and think it was composed or substantially edited in the 7th century BC, with further editing during the exile. Defenders of an early origin point to its similarities with second-millennium Hittite treaties and to its setting before the conquest. A middle view holds that genuine Mosaic speeches were preserved and later edited for new generations.

Literary style and structure

Sermon, not code

Deuteronomy is preaching. Moses speaks in the first person, addresses the people as you, appeals to memory and emotion and gives reasons for the commands. Key words recur: hear, remember, do not forget, love, today, the land the Lord your God is giving you. The repeated today stresses that each generation must make the covenant its own.

Three speeches and an epilogue

First speech (1:1-4:43). A review of the journey from Horeb to Moab.
Second speech (4:44-28:68). The core: general principles (5-11), specific laws (12-26) and blessings and curses (27-28).
Third speech (29-30). The covenant renewed in Moab and the call to choose life.
Epilogue (31-34). Joshua's commission, the Song of Moses, the blessing of the tribes and Moses' death.

The shape of a covenant treaty

The book follows the outline of ancient treaties between a great king and his vassals: a preamble (1:1-5), a historical prologue recalling the king's kindness (1:6-4:49), the stipulations (5-26), the blessings and curses (27-28), witnesses such as heaven and earth (30:19; 32:1) and instructions for depositing and publicly reading the document (31:9-13, 24-26). Deuteronomy presents the Lord as Israel's great King and the law as the terms of his gracious covenant.

Deuteronomy in the story of the Bible

Deuteronomy closes the five books of Moses and opens the way to the history that follows. Joshua begins exactly where it ends, with God telling Joshua to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6-9). The books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings evaluate Israel's leaders by Deuteronomy's standards: worship at the chosen place, loyalty to the Lord alone and obedience to his law. When Josiah heard the Book of the Law read, he tore his clothes and led a reform (2 Kings 22:11; 23:1-25). The prophets build on its covenant blessings and curses, and Jeremiah's promise of a new covenant written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34) echoes the promise of a circumcised heart in Deuteronomy 30:6.

In the New Testament Deuteronomy is quoted dozens of times. Jesus quotes it in the wilderness and names the Shema as the greatest commandment. Paul uses it to explain the curse of the law and the righteousness of faith (Galatians 3:10, 13; Romans 10:6-8), and he applies the law about not muzzling the ox to the support of ministers (1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:18). Hebrews quotes its warnings and promises (Hebrews 10:30; 12:29; 13:5).

Deuteronomy and Jesus Christ

The prophet like Moses. Moses promised a prophet like himself (18:15-19), and the book ends noting that none had yet arisen (34:10). Peter and Stephen identify that prophet with Jesus (Acts 3:22-26; 7:37).
The faithful Son in the wilderness. Israel was tested forty years in the wilderness and failed; Jesus was tested forty days and answered every temptation with Deuteronomy (Matthew 4:1-11). He is the obedient Son that Israel was called to be.
The greatest commandment. Jesus summarizes the law with the Shema and Leviticus 19:18 (Mark 12:29-31), and he alone loved God with all his heart, soul and strength.
The curse of the tree. Deuteronomy says that anyone hanged on a tree is under God's curse (21:23). Paul writes that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).
The word near you. Moses said the word was not far off but in the mouth and heart (30:11-14). Paul applies this to the message of faith in Christ: confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart (Romans 10:6-9).
The circumcised heart. God promised to circumcise Israel's heart to love him (30:6). Paul speaks of a circumcision of the heart by the Spirit (Romans 2:29) and of the circumcision of Christ (Colossians 2:11).

Interpretive challenges

Who wrote the account of Moses' death?

Moses could not have described his own burial and the mourning that followed. Most interpreters, including those who hold to Mosaic authorship of the book, see chapter 34 as an addition by a later writer, perhaps Joshua, as Jewish tradition says. This does not undermine the book any more than an obituary added to a memoir.

How could God command the destruction of the Canaanites?

Deuteronomy commands Israel to devote the nations of Canaan to destruction (7:1-2; 20:16-18). The text gives two reasons: the wickedness of those nations (9:4-5; compare Genesis 15:16) and the danger that their gods would draw Israel into idolatry (7:4; 20:18). The command was limited to a specific time and place, not a permanent pattern; Rahab and the Gibeonites show that those who turned to the Lord could be spared. The tension remains real and should be taught honestly, in light of God's justice, his patience and the final judgment.

Can anyone keep the law of Deuteronomy?

Moses says the commandment is not too hard (30:11), yet he predicts that Israel will turn away (31:16-29). The answer lies in 30:6: God himself will circumcise their hearts. The law reveals the life God desires, and the gospel provides the new heart that makes such love possible.

Little-known facts

The name Deuteronomy, second law, comes from the ancient Greek translation of 17:18, where the king's copy of this law was rendered this second law. The Hebrew title, Devarim, means words.
All three of Jesus' answers to Satan in the wilderness come from Deuteronomy (8:3; 6:16; 6:13).
Og, king of Bashan, had a bed of iron nine cubits long and four wide, roughly 13 by 6 feet, kept in Rabbah of the Ammonites (3:11).
The tribe of Simeon is not mentioned in Moses' blessing of the tribes in chapter 33.
Paul received forty lashes less one five times (2 Corinthians 11:24), a practice meant to stay below the limit of forty set in Deuteronomy 25:3.
Among the Dead Sea Scrolls, Deuteronomy is one of the best-represented books, with around thirty copies, a sign of its importance in Jesus' time.

How to study Deuteronomy

Reading plan

At one chapter a day, Deuteronomy takes about five weeks. For a group, eight sessions following the outline work well. Read chapters 1-11 slowly, because they set the tone of love and gratitude that frames the laws in chapters 12-26.

What to look for

The words remember, love, hear and today, and the reasons Moses gives for each command.
How each law protects the worship of the one God or the life and dignity of the neighbor.
The connection between grace and obedience: God's love comes first (7:7-8), obedience is the grateful response.
The New Testament quotations, especially in Matthew 4, Mark 12, Romans 10 and Galatians 3.

Teaching it in a Sunday school class or small group

With children, teach the Shema and Moses' last view of the land from Mount Nebo, and encourage families to talk about God at home and on the road as 6:7 says. With youth groups, Deuteronomy 8 opens a conversation about forgetting God in success and comfort. With adults, compare the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 and discuss why Moses grounds the Sabbath in redemption. Close the series with Deuteronomy 30:15-20, inviting the group to choose life by loving and following the Lord.

Deuteronomy chapter by chapter

Every chapter of Deuteronomy with a summary, key verses explained, themes, people, questions with answers and application.

Frequently asked questions about Deuteronomy

Who wrote the book of Deuteronomy?

The book presents itself as the words Moses spoke to Israel beyond the Jordan (1:1) and says that Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests (31:9, 24). Jewish and Christian tradition therefore attributes it to Moses, with the account of his death (34) added by another writer; the Talmud names Joshua. Many modern scholars think the book took its present form much later, around the time of King Josiah or the exile.

When was Deuteronomy written?

Its speeches are dated to the eleventh month of the fortieth year after the exodus (1:3), shortly before Moses' death, about 1406 BC on the early date of the exodus or in the 13th century BC on the late date. Many critical scholars connect the book with the law book found in the temple in 622 BC under Josiah (2 Kings 22-23) and date its final form to the 7th or 6th century BC.

What is the main message of Deuteronomy?

Deuteronomy calls God's people to love the one true God with all their heart and to show that love through obedience. God has chosen and rescued them by grace, and their future in the land depends on remembering him, rejecting idols and keeping his covenant. The choice is between life and blessing or death and curse (30:15-20).

How many chapters does Deuteronomy have and how is it organized?

Deuteronomy has 34 chapters, built around Moses' speeches. The first speech reviews Israel's history (1-4); the second, the longest, explains the covenant and the laws (5-28), from the Ten Commandments to the blessings and curses; the third renews the covenant in Moab (29-30); and the last chapters tell of Joshua's commission, the Song and blessing of Moses and his death (31-34).

What does the name Deuteronomy mean?

It comes from Greek and means second law. The name arose from the ancient Greek translation of 17:18, where the king's copy of this law was rendered as this second law. It fits the book, which repeats the law for a new generation, but it is not a different law. The Hebrew title is Devarim, words, from the first verse.

What is the Shema?

The Shema, from the Hebrew word for hear, is Deuteronomy 6:4-9: the declaration that the Lord is one, followed by the command to love him with all the heart, soul and might and to keep his words before the family at all times. It is Israel's basic confession of faith, and Jesus quoted it as the greatest commandment (Mark 12:29-30).

Why did Jesus quote Deuteronomy when he was tempted?

In the wilderness Jesus answered all three temptations with Deuteronomy: 8:3 on living by God's word (Matthew 4:4), 6:16 on not testing God (Matthew 4:7) and 6:13 on worshiping God alone (Matthew 4:10). These verses come from Moses' reflections on Israel's forty years of testing, and Jesus succeeded in his forty days where Israel had failed.

Who buried Moses?

Deuteronomy 34:6 says that the Lord buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor, and that no one knows the place of his grave to this day. Jude 1:9 mentions a dispute between the archangel Michael and the devil about the body of Moses. Moses later appeared with Elijah at the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:3).